This is a little off topic, but I'd like to tell you a little about myself and a book I just finished.
I have a tendency to keep to myself. I am not that social. I love my friends. I'm not really too interested in making new ones, or small talk with strangers, although sometimes people surprise me. I write much better than I talk. I’d rather write an email than talk on the phone. I'm not usually interested in socializing outside my circle, not because I don’t like people per se, simply because it makes me uncomfortable. I cherish my few close friends as if they were family, they are family.
Some might say I am quiet or shy, (although my friends will
attest that they can’t get me shut up most of the time.) Some might call me an introvert. Some people have even implied that this was not
normal.
When I stumbled across this book, Quiet, The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, I was intrigued.
Introverts often thrive in the social media online world, because we find a comfort in socializing from behind a keyboard. Lots of introverts are writers, bloggers, artists and creative types, because we are most satisfied and comfortable immersed in the work that is inside our heads.
When I stumbled across this book, Quiet, The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, I was intrigued.
The book is so interesting to me because it is about me. The author Susan Cain says that one
in three people are introverts, although you might not be able to spot them, a
lot of introverts learn to act extroverted.
How they act doesn’t change how social situations make them feel. An introvert is drained by social situations,
while an extrovert is energized by them. From childhood an introvert is often made to
feel like there is something wrong with their personalities, that they should
aspire to be more like their outspoken friends and colleagues.
One thing in the book that resonated with me was that being an
introvert doesn’t necessarily mean you are shy. Shy people can be introverts, but not all
introverts are shy. It is not that you don’t talk to people because you are afraid of judgment or
rejection, like a shy person might be, you just are uninterested in engaging in
meaningless small talk. You crave deeper
relationships than that. A shy person
may wish they could be more outgoing, but an introvert can be perfectly satisfied in
their own internal world. Being afraid
to talk to people and simply not wanting to talk are two different things.
Introverts often thrive in the social media online world, because we find a comfort in socializing from behind a keyboard. Lots of introverts are writers, bloggers, artists and creative types, because we are most satisfied and comfortable immersed in the work that is inside our heads.
Cain talks about how to harness the power of being an
introvert in a world where an extrovert is considered the ideal personality
type, how to use your strengths to an advantage, when it is necessary to fake
it, and when it is best to just be yourself.
She makes a good point that introverts are often encouraged
to act like extroverts, but it is rare that an extrovert would be encouraged to
act like an introvert, even though experiencing the inner quiet time like an
introvert could be beneficial to them. Neither
of the personality types is superior, they each have their own strengths and
weaknesses.
The stories in this book; the stories of real people, case studies, research, interviews and even experiences from the author herself, prove to validate what I knew all along, there is nothing wrong with the way I am.
The stories in this book; the stories of real people, case studies, research, interviews and even experiences from the author herself, prove to validate what I knew all along, there is nothing wrong with the way I am.
My husband is my very best friend in this world. He shares some of my homebody tendencies,
thank goodness, but also can be very extroverted, which takes the pressure off
of me in social situations. The book
discusses how introverts and extroverts can make great teams, like Rosa Parks
and Martin Luther King, Jr. for example, each playing off the others
strengths. Rosa Parks took a bold, quiet stand to the
injustices in the world and Martin Luther King, Jr. inspired people with his
passionate speech. Rosa probably couldn’t have given that speech as effectively,
but her quiet actions changed history.
I think this book is great for reassuring introverts that
we do not have a personality disorder, that our way is just different, and it has
its distinct advantages over the gregarious extrovert. However, I think this book would be the most
beneficial for extrovert spouses, parents, and bosses to better understand the needs of the
introverts in their lives.
What have you read lately? Seriously, I am looking for non-fiction book recommendations.
Keep Running,
Lea
Ways to (legally) stalk me:

"LIKE" the Running for Dummies Blog page on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter @GeaLenders
Let's track each others workouts on Dailymile
See what I am up to on Pinterest
Add me to your circles on Google +
Follow me on Instagram @runningfordummies
What have you read lately? Seriously, I am looking for non-fiction book recommendations.
Keep Running,
Lea
Ways to (legally) stalk me:

"LIKE" the Running for Dummies Blog page on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter @GeaLenders
Let's track each others workouts on Dailymile
See what I am up to on Pinterest
Add me to your circles on Google +
Follow me on Instagram @runningfordummies